Closure for bottles, jars, and similar receptacles.



PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

J. B. LARKIN. CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND SIMILAR REGEPTAGLE'S.

APPLICATION FILED 001210, 1907.

gwwenlroz UNITED STATES PATENT orrion JOHN B. LARKIN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES.

I Application filed October 10. 1907. Serial N 0. 396,811.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, J OHN- B. LARKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Closures for Bottles, Jars, and Similar Receptacles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to closures for bottles, jars and similar receptacles, and more particularly to closures for bottles containing waters, carbureted beverages, and malt liquors.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive closure that can be easily and quickly placed in engagement with a bottle to hermetically seal the same against pressure from the inside and thereby prevent leakage of gas or liquids contained therein.

My invention aims to provide a novel closure and cushion that can be repeatedly used.

This advantage presented by my invention over the well known metallic cap now universally used, resides in the fact that after the closure has been removed from the bottle, it can be easily replaced upon the bottle and used as an ordinary stopper until the entire contents of the bottle has been used. It will therefore be apparent that the stopper is not only applicable for bottles containing char ed waters,.carbureted beverages, and malt iq uors, but can beadvantageously used in connection with bottles containing'high grade wines and spirituous liquors.

The invention in its broadest aspect involves two elements, namely a cushion and av metallic cap or closure.

The novel construction of the cap or clo-v sure permits of its use in connection with "bottles of irregular or varying sizes, and in its entirety can be constructed'and finished to.

present a neat and attractive appearance according to ones esthetic taste.

The preferred embodiments of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but I desire it to be understood that the invention is susceptible to numerous changes without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a blank piece of metal ready to be bent to form the closure, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the closure, as applied to the neck and mouth of a bottle, Fig. 3 is a similar view Specification of Letters Patent. j

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

illustrating the closure as firmly embracing the neck and mouth of a bottle, Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a closure as entirely sealed upon the neck and mouth of a bottle, Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the same, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the closure as sealed, Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the closure as sealed, Fig. 8 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of closure, Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the same, showing the closure as embracing the neck and mouth of a bottle, and Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the modified form of closure sealed.

In practice, I construct the closure of a piece of suitable material, preferably of metal which can be cut and sheared from a suitable sheet, to conform to the desired shape prior to bending the same to engage the neck or mouth of a bottle. The closure prior to bending comprises a bridge 1 having semi-circular cap-members 2, the diameter of these semi circular members being greater than the width of the bridge 1, whereby the edges of the semi-circular members canbe bent upon semi-circular lines 3 issuing from the edges of the bridge 1. ed to be bent upon the dotted lines 4, 4 whereby the bridge 1 can be used for manipulating the semi-circular members 2 of the closure.

After the blank has been out to conform to the configuration shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the edges of the semi-circular members 2 are reamed or bent to provide semi-circular flutes 5, and the bridge 1 is bent to provide a loop 6. The closure'is now in condition to be placed'upon the neck and mouth of a bottle.

In order that the invention may be fully of the closure, at supra, permits of said closure being applied to bottles of, various sizes, the loop 6 allowing of the semi-circular cap-members 2 being separated sufficiently to embrace a bottle having a mouth of a large diameter, also permitting of said mem- Further, the closure is adapt-,

be'rs being moved in close proximity to one another to embrace a bottle having a mouth of a small diameter. It is therefore a parent that a single closure will fit a num er of sizes of bottles.

After the washer or seal 7 has been placed in position, and the closure placed over the mouth and seal of the bottle, the sides of the bridge 1 forming the loop 6 are ressed together, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of ings, until the beaded edge of the bottle mouth is snugly embraced by the fluted edges of the closure. The next operation is to lock the closure u on the bottle neck, and this is accomplishe by pressing the loop 6 into aflattened position, thus doubling or folding the material upon itself as illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive. This flattened or doubled position of the excess material produced by forming the loop prevents the closure from becoming accidentally displaced from the bottle, but owing to themannor in which the loop is flattened, the closure can be easily removed at any desired time. In flattening the loo 6, said loop is evenly divided, that is, one alf of said loop resting upon one semi-circular cap-member, and the other half of said loop resting upon the opposite semi-circular cap-member. In pressing the'loop intothis position I allow the central portion 8 upon each side of the loop to re- .{mainin a slightly elevatedposition, (see Fig.

7), whereby recesses or finger tip openings are provided, permitting of the insertion of the finger or thumb tips for removing the closure. It is obvious, however, that any suitable implement can be used for prying off or removing the closure.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive, wherein I have illustrated a modifled form of closure, constructed somewhat similar to the preferred form. This modified form of closure is made in two parts, equivalent to dividing the bridge 1 of the preferred form of construction. The semicircular cap-members 2 are laced into engagement with the neck of a ottle by press mg the parts 10 and 11 of the bridge together and then bendin these parts to form a loop 12, as illustrate in Fig. 9. The loop can then be crushed or pressed (see Fig. 10) to firmly retain the closure upon the neck of a bottle. I

The modified form of closure can be made with some economy of material and possibly labor, but the distinct advantage gained in either the preferred or modified form is throu h the use of a sufficient amount of material to draw the semi-circular capmembers of the closure over the mouth of a bottle. 1 This excess amount of material serves functionally as a lever for placing the the drawgenerally emplo instrument (not s own). 7

I desire to call attention to the fact that my cap or closure differs from other caps or closures in so much that the semi-circular ends can be pressed or formed into a depending collar to fit over the neck of a bottle, be-

fore being placed on the bottle, thus avoiding the strain 1n the manipulation of the present practice, which often causes a bottle to break.

Another advantage in the novel formation of the cap or closure resides in the fact that it may be moved over the mouth of a bottle to its center, by entering the smallest diameter of the bottle into the semi-circular parts of the cap or closure at their'largest diameter, thus adjusting and tightening the parts of the ca or closure, as they reach the closing line at t e center of the bottle mouth, (see Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings).

The employment of an excess amount of material in the construction of the closure allows the fluted edges I of the closure, to nicely adjust themselves to, the shape and eriphery of the neck of a bottle, and while I iiave not herein specified the character of the metal used in manufacturing the closure, I a pliable non-corrosive metal or a meta that can be enameled or coated to resent a neat appearance. Upon the semi-circular cap-members ofthe closure can be printed an advertisement or the name of the contents of the bottle in connection with which the closure is used.

The invention as above described is susceptible to such changes as are permissible by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, is

1. The combination with a bottle, of a seal fitting upon the mouth thereof, a closure for retaining said seal in engagement with said bottle, said closure comprising a piece of metal cut to provide a bridge having semicircular cap-members, the said semi-circular cap-members being bent to embrace the neck of said bottle, and said bridge havinga portion thereof between the cap-members bent to provide a loop adapted to be ressed to retain said semi-circular cap-mem )ers in engagement with the neck of said bottle.

2. The combination with a bottle, and a seal closing the mouth thereof, of a closure ada ted to fit over the mouth ofsaid bottle, sai closure comprising a piece of metal cut to provide a bridge having semi-circular cap members bent to embrace the neck of said bottle, the said bridge between the capmembers thereof being bent to provide a loop adapted to be pressed to retain said closure upon the neck of said bottle.

3. The combination with a bottle, and a seal closing the mouth of said bottle, oi a metallic closure fitting upon said bottle and embracing the neck thereof, said closure comprising a bridge with cap-members embracing the 1 to retain said closure in engagement with said loop a sea m i position,

bottle.

4. The combination with a bottle, of a closure adapted to fit upon the neck thereoflsaid closure comprising a bridge having semi-circular ca -mem'bers bent to embrace the neck of said ottle, said bridge between the capmembers beingsaid cap-mem ers in engagement with said bottle.

5. The combination with 'a bottle, of a closure adapted to fit over the mouth there of, said closure comprising a bridge having semi-circular cap-members bent to embrace the neck of said bottle, said bridge between the semi-circular cap-members being bent to retain said cap-members in engagement-with said bottle, and-to rovide finger tip recesses.

6. A'closure for ottles embodying a seal, a piece of metal bent to provide abridge havmg semi-circular cap-members, said cap-.

members being reamed for embracing the neck of a bottle, saidbrid e intermediate of saidca -members being ent to provide a apted to be pressed to retain said saidclosure, and finger recesses for opening said closure.

7. A closure embodying. a seal, a piece of metal bent to embrace said seal, said piece of metal comprising a bridge having bent capmembers, said brid e-intermediateof said cap-members being ent and pressed to lock said closure. I

8. A closure for bottles comprising a piece of metal cut to provide-a brid 'e;having'sem1 circular cap-members adapte to be reamed, said bridge intermediate of said ca -members being bent to draw said reamed members in close pioximity to one another, and pressed to loo 9. A closure for bottles comprising a iece of metal cut and bent to provide a loop aving reamed semi-circular cap-members, said loop being pressed to retain said capmembers in close proximity to one another. 10. A bottleclosure formed from pliable metal and comprising two substantially semi-circular members crimped to engage a bottle neck, and abridge member integral at its ends with the semi-circular members and bent and pressed to retain said members in said drawn the semi-circular members towards each other to clamp them on a bottle neck.

- 11. A bottle closure formed from pliable material and comprising two substantially semi circular ca members and a bridge member of less width than the greatest diameter of the cap-members, the bridge member connected at its ends to the cap-members, and being of a length to permit its being bottle neck.

12. A bottle closure comprising two semicircular cap-members' and a bridge connecting the members of a length to provide sufficient material to be bent upon itself for drawing'the cap-members into uxta-position and securing t e same upon a ottle neck.

13. A bottle closure formed from pliable metal shaped to form two spaced cap-members and a connecting bridge member, the length ofthe bridge member'being greater than the eatest width of either cap-member ,where y an excess of material is rovided in' the bridge member to be looped or drawing the cap-members together."

14'. A bottle closure formed from pliable metal shaped to form spaced cap-members and a connectin bridge member, the bridge member being ot-a length to permit its being bers towards each other. 1

15. A bottle closure formed from pliable .materialsha ed to form spaced cap-members and a ridge member connecting the cap-members, the bridge member being of a length to Ifpermit the same being doubled upon itse to draw the ca members towards each other and secure t e same upon a bottle neck.

16. A closure for bottles comprising a seal, a strip of metal bent to provide a 100 having cap-members embracin said sea said loop being pressed to lock t e cap-members thereof in engagement with said seal.

17. A cap for bottles comprisin a bridge having reamed cap-members, said rid e intermediate said reamed. cap-members eing bent to move said reamed cap-members in close proximity to one another. 7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. LARKIN.

Witnesses:

' MA X H. SRoLovrrz,

A. J. Tame.

of a length to permit its being looped to draw bent so as to draw the cap-members towards each other into clamping engagement with a 

